THE VERSE
How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.~Hebrews 9:14
THE THOUGHT
What does it mean that the blood of Christ "purifies our conscience?" Or, as Hebrews 10 says, to be "sprinkled clean from an evil conscience?" What makes our consciences evil? I thought that the conscience was a good thing, right?Another passage of Scripture illuminates this issue for us. In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul is talking about weaker believers being tripped up by food sacrificed to idols. He says, "Some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled." What defiles the conscience here is guilt. A defiled or evil conscience is a conscience loaded down with condemnation, with guilt.
Now take that definition back to illuminate Hebrews 9, and something amazing emerges. Christ, who offered His perfect, unblemished work to the Father, purifies the guilt of our dead works, so that we can serve the living God. Often our feelings of guilt and condemnation keep us away from God or keep us from being fruitful in His work. Either we are too discouraged to approach Him, or we can be so aware of our sin that we despair of doing anything that can please Him. To those who struggle with condemnation, Hebrews 9 and 10 are like a bomb going off, blowing away the darkness of guilt. It is Christ's blood and perfect work that purifies the guilt of our dead works, so that we really truly can serve the living God. It is Christ's blood and perfect work that cleanses our guilt so that we can approach the throne of grace with confidence.
Today, take hold of the grace that is yours in Christ, and press on to serve God with boldness and joy.
THE PRAYER
Father, Thank you for sending Your Son to take away the guilt of my dead works. Thank you for the work of Your Spirit in my heart, applying the blood and righteousness of Christ to my defiled conscience. Lord, grant me faith to believe all the good news of the gospel, faith to be free of condemnation, so that I can rejoice in Your goodness and serve you with all of my flawed serving, knowing that in Christ you are pleased with me.EXTENDED READING
Hebrews 9:11-14Hebrews 10:19-23
1 Corinthians 8:4-7
Romans 8:1-4
THE QUOTE
“They that are full of the joy of the Lord never find life grow weary. Getting near to Christ, you will partake in his joy, and that joy shall be your strength, your freshness, the newness of your life. God grant us to drink of the eternal founts, that we may for ever overflow.” ~Charles Spurgeon
No comments:
Post a Comment